Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics
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Paul C. Armbruster, MS, DDS LSUHSC School of Dentistry |
Full- and Part-time Faculty Members, click here to complete semi-annual resident evaluations.
For clinic patient appointments, call 504-619-8572.
The field of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics is responsible for the diagnosis, prevention, interception, and treatment of all forms of malocclusion of the teeth. Treatment of malocclusion involves the application of force to the teeth through orthodontic appliances, or braces, that are attached to the teeth. The force moves the teeth to the desired new position within the mouth.
The Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at LSUSD treats children and adults with a wide range of malocclusions ranging from fairly simple problems requiring only minor tooth movement procedures to complex problems requiring comprehensive orthodontics to correct the malocclusion. Two full-time faculty members, 16 part-time faculty members, and one gratis faculty member are actively involved at all levels of teaching and research within the department.
Advanced education students in the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics spend two years after completing dental school in additional training to earn their specialty certificate in orthodontics. Four residents are accepted each year into the program. The residents' training includes advanced courses, case-based treatment planning seminars, reviews of current and historical orthodontic literature, a research thesis, and active treatment of patients with comprehensive orthodontic problems. Treatment modalities for orthodontic patients in the advanced education clinic include extraction, non-extraction, growth modification, and surgery. Each orthodontic patient is presented in a daily seminar with open discussion of the problems, treatment objectives, and treatment plan among the faculty, residents, and any undergraduate dental students present.
Undergraduate dental students take two preclinical courses and one clinic course in the department that introduce them to the basic concepts of tooth movement and the various appliances used in treating patients. In the third-year rotation-based clinic course, students shadow the orthodontic residents in the clinic. Additionally, those students on rotation attend case seminars presented by advanced education students to the departmental faculty. Attendance at these seminars reinforces the diagnostic and treatment planning skills required for orthodontic cases. A rotation is available to the lab tech students allowing them to spend time in the orthodontic lab fabricating appliances to be used in the clinic.
Become a Patient
The department screens patients year round by appointment only for acceptance into
the teaching clinic. A resident and faculty member evaluate the orthodontic problems
of potential patients. The patient's responsibilities and dental school fees are explained
at this screening visit to those with cases of good teaching value. Patients who accept
the responsibilities are registered in the clinic and typically begin treatment in
the fall of the same year they were screened.
Individuals interested in becoming an orthodontic patient at the LSUHSC School of Dentistry should call to make a screening appointment as a new patient. Please call 504-619-8572.
Treatment Fees
Payment for orthodontic treatment in the advanced education clinic is required in full prior to initiation of treatment. One-third of the treatment fee is required to reserve
the patient's acceptance into the clinic. The remaining amount is due in two equal
payments within 90 days.
Treatment in another department at LSUHSC School of Dentistry requires additional fees.
Location
The orthodontic clinic is located on the 4th floor of the LSUHSC School of Dentistry
Clinic Building.
Hours
Monday through Friday, 8:30 -11:00 a.m. and 1:00-4:30 p.m.
View rosters of full-time, part-time, and gratis faculty members in the Department of Orthodontics.